Wolf's Howl
by Kikiyo-Inuzuka
Summary: Sasha is a normal everyday six year old until something in her life changes her perspective on life forever. When she is abandonded by both her parents what will she do? How will her life turn out twenty years from then? GreedXOC RoyXOC
1. Chapter 1

**Hey to all my readers! I'm sorry that i stopped writing my Young Justice story but I just lost my inpiration for that story and i wanted to start this one! so I hope you really like this one and will enjoy this one as much as my other stories! **

**I will apologize already for the possible poor grammer, the main charater is only a child at this point in the story so bear with me for now i promise it will change by chapter four at the latest.**

** DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fullmetal Alchamist : Brotherhood or any of its characters all the rights got to their creator! I only own Sasha and her family.**

**Anyway! I hope you enjoy my new story!**

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><p><span>Wolf's Howl<span>

_Sasha: Age 6, Location: Amestris: Central_

I sat quietly at my desk quickly, but neatly as I could manage, writing down the answers to the class work we were doing today. I finished up the last question and looked up from my paper; there were ten other kids around me and our teacher was going around checking everyone's answers. I raised my hand so she would come to me, she looked in my direction and nodded, telling me to put my hand down and wait for her. I nodded and smiled, I really like my teacher, she was really nice she always told me how good I did on today's assignment and how smart I was. I knew why she was always complementing me but I told myself it was just because I was really that good at whatever we were doing that day.

I looked around the room at all the pictures and projects that were posted around the room, some were very neat and clean with all the colors staying within the lines, others were more messy and all over the place, more thrown together. I admired the ones that were neat but more random and inaccurate, such as a cow being colored purple. I felt as though those ones took more effort than the ones that were neat but followed the natural laws of the world because those ones took more thought and creativity. That's what I told my parents when I brought home pictures that were imaginatively colored but they just told me that I was stupid and that I would never be worth much. It made me sad when they said those kinds of things but I just ignored them most of the time, I knew that they were just stressed by their very important jobs, my mom was a state alchemist and my father was also a state alchemist but he worked in lab to try and make people's lives better and to make Amestris a safer place. I 'm not sure exactly what he does there but that is what he told me, that he makes Amestris a better place and makes people's lives easier.

I placed those thoughts out of my mind and looked out the window, it was nice earlier today but now it looked as though it might rain, but I didn't mind, I liked the rain. The sound of rain hitting my window was like a lullaby, the soft pattering always lulled me to sleep when I was having trouble falling asleep.

I didn't realize I was lost in thought until I heard my teacher say, "Hello, Sasha! How are you today?" she had a nice cheery tone to her voice and she had a big smile too.

"Oh sorry, I was thinking about something, I'm good, how are you?" I answered kindly back.

"I'm alright, I'm glad you're doing alright. How did it go at home last night when you got home?"

"It was good I guess, my parents weren't home till late so I didn't have to talk to them, I was on my way to bed by the time they finally came home. My Daddy had to work late again and my Mommy was busy studying up on some sort of special transmutation circle."

The teacher gave me a concerned look so I flashed her a big, bright smile to reassure her that I was fine. This seemed to work because she smiled back at me but the smile didn't seem happy, it looked tiered and worn, I looked at her with concern but shrugged it off and focused on her checking my paper.

"Wonderful job, Sasha, you are getting really good at this. I'm so proud of you…" she said happily at first but with growing sadness.

"Ms-" I was about to ask her if she was alright but she cut me off with a sudden hug.

I was thrown off by the sudden hug but I didn't push her away like I normally do when people hug me because the instant her arms wrapped around me I felt like I was secure and for the first time no one could hurt me. I didn't understand why I felt this way or how the hug did that but I didn't question it all I did was enjoy it while it lasted which wasn't for very long.

A few minutes after the hug started it was over and I was left with a feeling that I couldn't describe, it was like I was trying to reach for something I wanted but it was out of my reach and though I knew it was out of my reach I still tried to get it. The teacher got down to my eye level and grabbed my arms gently to get my attention.

"Sasha, no matter what happens, you know that people care about you right?" she asked rather urgently but lowly so the other students couldn't hear.

"What do you mean? I'm confused I don't understand, what is going to happen?" I asked equally as low and urgent.

"Nothing I know of but, if something did happen you know you have people who love you right?"

"Y-yeah I guess so."

"Good, now you go home today and you show your parents what an awesome job you did!" she said with that same happy voice as always but this time it seemed to have a saddened tone to it.

I had no idea what she was talking about or why she sounded so sad but I did see a single tear fall from her check and hit her arm with a soft and barely auditable _–pilp-_.

I cocked my head to the side in confusion; I had no idea why my teacher was crying or why she was so sad in the first place. I didn't see a reason for her to be sad, I was happy and all the other children in the class seemed happy too. I tried to just ignore it but the thought kept floating into my thoughts. I sighed and packed up while I waited for the bell to ring and let us out.

While I waited I closed my eyes and silently listened to all the noises in the classroom, I liked to do this causes you couldn't hear everything all together the right way when your eyes were open. You could only hear a loud, mixed together, mess, but when you close your eyes you could hear all the noises come together is a sort of harmonious way. The sounds of the other kid's voices weren't as loud and they didn't overpower the soft, but strong sound of kids and teachers pencils writing on the paper. I think the sounds all blended together the right way when your eyes were closed because your eyes could fool you sometimes. Like with my parents and me, if you saw us you would never even think that my parents were actually pretty cold. They always acted so friendly and warm in public or if they were around strangers, but they acted so cold and unfriendly towards me. They thought that I could do better in everything, school, chores, my training, everything I did they didn't like it. They always told me to keep trying and maybe someday I would be good at something. I opened my eyes and sighed, I didn't like being in a bad mood, it always made people worry about me and they always asked the same question, "Are you alright?", I really didn't like that question because I wasn't alright but I wasn't just going to tell someone that just because they asked me that dumb question.

I looked at the clock, only two minutes left before school was supposed to end and I had to go home. I wished that the school day would never end so I didn't have to go home, I knew that my mom and dad would find something wrong with me today and even if they didn't, I knew that they wouldn't congratulate me on anything either. I looked out the window again and saw all the birds flying into the tree that was right outside the window, followed by a few drops of rain that turned into a downpour. I was amazed at the animal's ability to tell when it was going to rain, even if they were just birds. It was if they had a special sense that told them when the rain was going to start. I smiled slightly, I thought about how cool it would be if I could have a power like that and how my parents might actually compliment me for once. But I knew that it was a crazy thought and that that kind of sense was only for the birds and the dogs.

I watched the rain hit the window pane and fall down and hit the window seal. I listened to the rain patter against the window, trying so hard to get in and be enjoyed by everyone but like my parents the window kept the rain from being noticed. I felt my mouth turn downward into a frown and a few tears escaped my eyelids and hit my hand with soft _-pilps-_. I quickly reached up to my eyes and wiped away the tears before anyone noticed.

-BRRRRRRRRRINNNGGGGGGGGG-

I jumped almost out of my seat, when the bell rang. I had scared the sadness right out of me and replaced it with shock. I wasn't complaining though, it was nice to think about something other than sad things for a minute. I felt silly for being scared of the bell so it made me smile a bit; it had at least gotten my mind off of other things so I was happy for that.

I sighed happily and grabbed my book bag before I headed outside so I could go home. As I was walking toward the door one of the other kids pushed me, hard, I lost my balance and almost fell over, but after stumbling a bit I regained my balance without falling.

"H-hey what was that for?" I asked kinda mad.

"You know what it was for. Besides I shouldn't need a reason to beat up on someone like you, all you do is hog attention, maybe I can teach you a lesson." A familiar voice replied.

"Wait, what? Attention hog? I don't mean to… it just happens that way I don't ask for all the attention I get."

I looked up and my suspicions were proven true, it was Mike, a boy from my class who had a group of boys who followed him like shadows. Mike likes to pick on me because he didn't like how one of the teachers focused on me and not him for once. Mike was a typical bully, he talked more then he hit, and when he did hit it didn't really hurt but that didn't mean that I wasn't afraid of a fight with him.

He looked amused by my answer; he started to laugh really loudly, "You don't ask for the attention? Then what was with the whole 'last night went okay but mommy and daddy didn't come home till late.' Routine you pulled earlier?" he said angrily, copying my voice rather badly.

He pushed me again but this time I couldn't correct my balance and I felt on my butt, it didn't hurt but I could feel a strange pain in my chest like he had hit me right through the heart when he pushed me. I felt tears start to form but I fought them, I knew that the moment I cried he would have his victory. I couldn't let him win anymore.

"It isn't my fault that one person in this world, for once, isn't focused completely on you! Now please leave me alone I just wanna go home." I replied as I got up and pushed past him.

He stood there stunned for a second but the next second he was furiously grabbing my hair and pulling me back. I yelped out in pain and tried to tear away, but it was no use.

"What is going on in here? Oh my goodness! Let her go!" A teacher from outside the classroom came running in yelling.

She managed to get Mike off of me, and I just thanked her and ran off as fast as I could before he had another chance to attack. I didn't stop running until I was out the front door of the school, down the steps and out of the front gate leading into the school. I stopped right outside the gates and caught my breath for a minute before continuing on my way home.

My house was pretty close to the school so I didn't have to walk in the rain for too long, even if I didn't mind getting wet I knew my parents would hate it if I got soaked. I tried to hurry so I could stay as dry as possible but there were a lot of people on the sidewalk and it was really slippery from all the rain. I tried my best to hurry and before too long I finally reached my house.

I opened the small iron fence in front of our house and ran up the stairs and inside before I got more soaked than I already was.

"Where have you been? Jeez, look at you your soaked! Go upstairs and change then come talk to your father and me." My mom yelled as soon as I walked in the door.

I nodded timidly and quickly ran upstairs, and into my room. I put down my book bag in the corner and got changed as fast as I possibly could. I hit the wall a few times while trying to get my dirty pants off and when pulling on my clean ones, but other than that I didn't make a sound.

After I was done I quickly but quietly ran down stairs and waited for my parents in the living room. It only took them a few minutes to come in and sit down to talk to me, I smiled at them when they came in but they didn't return the gesture, in fact they seemed like they were sad.

I looked at them with concern before I asked, "What is wrong?"

They looked at each other and sighed before my dad answered, "Well, we have been thinking and we think it would be best if you went away for awhile."

"Like where? I don't have anywhere else to go!" I said with concern not liking where the conversation was going.

"Oh we know that but there is place where children go when they need to get away from their parents or their parents need to take a break from them it is called and orphanage, that is where you are going to go for a little while." My father replied, trying to keep me calm.

I knew he was lying about what an orphanage was, I'm not stupid but I wanted to know why so I played dumb, "Why would you send me there? What did I do wrong?"

"Nothing, it is just you aren't progressing like you should in this house so we thought a change in scenery might help you do better. You will still go to school and you training, you just won't come here afterwards you'll go to the orphanage." My mother replied

My eyes got dark and I could feel the anger well up inside me, they wanted to get rid of me because I wasn't good enough for them. I couldn't believe it! They didn't care about me at all, I felt the tears from in my eyes, my parents were all I had, and they didn't care about me! Was this what the teacher was trying to tell me? I didn't understand, I just kept shaking my head and repeating the word no. I didn't understand how my own parents didn't even want me anymore, I tried my best and I did well in school, but they still didn't want me.

"Y-you don't love me anymore…" I managed to choke out through the tears.

"No! That isn't it we just don't want to-" my father tried to explain.

"That is exactly it you don't love me anymore! I know what an orphanage is! It is for kids, who don't have parents of their own, or their parents can't take care of them or in my case, their parents don't care about them!" I shouted through my closing throat.

"I'm sorry Sasha, but we can't keep you here, we do love you…but it's complicated you wouldn't understand. Sometimes parents just realize that there in over their heads when it comes to raising a child." My mother responded while trying to force tears.

I could tell she was faking by the way my father was looking at her with approval, like she did a job well done. I looked down at my feet and wiped my tears away violently, I knew now that no matter what that no matter how may tears I shed, they would never care about me.

I sat in silence for some time while they explained why I had to leave and that it was going to be a nice place with lots of kids and toys, but I didn't care about any of that. All I cared about was knowing why my parents didn't love or care about me. I sighed loudly and gave up on trying to figure it out, _"Sometimes,"_ my teacher said once, _"people do things or act a certain way and we won't ever know why."_ I wondered why they decided to send me away now and why they didn't just give me up at birth but I figured that was one of life's mysteries as well and gave up.

They sent me up to pack my things and I did, I didn't want to cause anymore fuss at this point so I figured listening to them was my best option. It was still raining outside but the rain wasn't soothing me like it normally does, no, this time it seemed to be trying to console me. It made me smile on the inside but on the outside I remained stone faced.

My parents let me to the car and I got in, on the ride there I found out that they had been planning this for awhile because they had to get all the paperwork filled out. They didn't know I had figured it out because found out when I saw the big stack of papers that had my name and other personal information on it, along with my parents signatures and someone's signature that I didn't recognize. I looked at the papers but I didn't touch them because if I had it would have made noise and they would have seen that I knew.

The car ride over to my new home was endless and excruciatingly boring. I watched the rain hit the window but instead of just dripping off like it would on a regular window; the droplets were thrown off by the wind just like the way my parents were throwing me aside when all I did try to get noticed by them. I sighed and rested my head against the seat of the car and closed my eyes.

The soft sound of the rain hitting the window was like the lullaby I desperately needed. I needed sleep, nothing could bother me when I was sleeping, I wouldn't have to worry about what might happen to me next or why this was going on at all. All I had to worry about when I was asleep were bad dreams but I never had them when I had my rain lullaby so I drifted and fell fast asleep. No caring about where I was going, who I would meet there, and most importantly what would happen to me now that I had no parents?

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><p><strong>Okay I hope you liked that chapter, i'm sorry if it was a little long but i was trying to fit all her childhood into one chapter and realized that it wasn't going to work so i am going to split it up. Alright well i hope you will keep reading and you will review like always! Bye-bye now!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Warning: this chapter may be extremly sad to some readers, just beaware that you may need tissues.**

**DISCLAIMER: ALright I do not own any of the characters in FMA: Brotherhood or the show itself! I only own my original characters.**

**plwase enjoy, sorry it has taken me so long to update.**

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><p>When I awoke I had no idea where we were. I looked out the window but I didn't recognize any of the buildings surrounding us. I searched for any type of marker or sign that would let me know where we were but there were none. I could tell that we were still in Central because of all the buildings and cars but other than that I had no clue. It was still raining outside, so that made my somber mood lighten a bit, but I was still unhappy, I knew it was coming and soon. I sighed as we came to a stop and turned to ask my dad something but right as the words were about to leave my mouth I heard a loud horn blare and the sounds of screeching tires before I felt our car jerk violently to the side. I closed my eyes in fear and curled up in a ball, I had no idea what was happening, the car just kept moving sideways as if it were being pushed. Finally the car jerked to a stop and my body got thrown into the side of the door. I heard the crunch of metal and the screech of metal scrapping against metal before everything went silent.<p>

I opened my eyes and immediately wished I hadn't. Everything around me stopped in its tracks as I sat there and stared at the bodies of my parents. The car on my dad's side was crushed in like and accordion and face was completely covered in blood. It dripped off his face and onto the twisted metal below him. Half his side was mangled beyond recognition; I could see his ivory bones covered in blood sticking out of his chest and leg. His body was slumped over the chair; his head was almost touching the floor of the car while his legs and left arm were intertwined with the twisted metal where the car has hit us. I tried to look away but found that I couldn't.

I was horrified by the sight but I couldn't turn away from the gore. I stared at the way his body draped lifeless, over the car seat and the way his right arm outstretched all the way till his fingertips were resting on the passenger seat. My eyes shifted over to the passenger's side where my mother had been sitting. I hoped that she would be okay but I had a sinking feeling that she was hurt as well.

At first she looked like she was just passed out but as soon as I undid my seatbelt and went to shake her I knew she was never going to wake up.

"Mommy? Mommy? Mommy please wake up….Mommy? Mommy why are you ignoring me? Mommy! Please answer me! Please….Please…" I shouted at first but began to plead towards the end.

I looked at her more closely and saw that she was slumped forward and her forehead was resting on the dashboard with a huge pool of deep red blood pouring from her head and onto the floor in a steady stream.

I felt myself shaking violently as I watched the waterfall of blood pour out of her head , on to the dash board, and then onto the floor of the car. I shook my head violently and shit my eyes tightly.

_This can't be happening! It just can't be!_

I thought to myself in despair, praying that when I opened my eyes, my parents would still be alive and we would be driving down the street. I hoped that this was all a dream, a terrible, horrible dream. I slowly opened my eyes but instead of seeing my parents alive and well I saw the same scene from earlier. My dad was still half mutilated and slumped over, and my mom was still bleeding from her forehead in a steady stream. I felt the tears well up in my eyes and I looked away quickly, I just couldn't bring myself to look at them anymore, they may have been mean but they were still my parents. I felt something wet hit my hand and I realized that I was crying.

I hiccupped and sobbed as the world around me finally came into focus, the sounds of blaring horns, the soft drizzle of rain, the shouts and screams of concerned passersby, and the sounds of people tugging at a door to force it open, the screeching of the metal was almost unbearable. I covered my ears with my hands and when I did felt something wet on the side of my head. I moved my hand to look at it and saw that it was covered in blood. I gasped and instantly felt a huge pain on the right side of my body specifically my head. I wondered why for a moment but then I remembered being slammed into the side of the car and saw how the back passenger side window was cracked and covered in blood.

"Oh my gosh! I'm bleeding!" I screamed to myself in alarm.

I backed away from the cracked window and curled up in a ball just as the screeching of the metal stopped and the door popped open.

A man around my father's age with brown hair and a thick mustache stuck his head in and called out to me, "Alright, we are here to help you. Can you hear me?"

I tried to speak but the words wouldn't form so I simply nodded slowly.

"Okay good, can you carefully slid over here so we can reach you?" he asked reaching out towards me.

I looked at his hand and instantly had a feeling of bitter sadness and terror rush over me. I backed farther away from him and shook my head.

"We won't hurt you, we promise. We just want to help; this car is a very unsafe place to be right now. You have to leave." He said kindly but with certain urgency to his voice.

"But…my mom and dad…what about them?" I asked in despair.

"Don't worry about them! They would want you to get out first, now come on! We will coe back for them."

"No…"I whispered. I couldn't believe what this man had just said; there was no way my parents would want me to get out first. They only cared about themselves….they would have wanted to get out first; they would have rather me die in the place of them.

"No what?"

"Your, wrong my parents would have wanted me to get out last…they hated me." I said sadly as I crawled over to the man and he picked me up gently and put me on a stretcher.

I felt nothing as the loaded me into the ambulance and suck me with needles filled with some sort of medicine and tried to get me to talk.

I heard a women's voice as she shone a flashlight in my face, "hello, miss? Can you tell me your name please?"

I squinted due to the bright light and spoke softly, "My name? It is Sasha."

The women tried to ask me more questions, such as "Do you know what happened?" and "Do you know where you are?"

But I was tired of talking so I simply nodded to both. I closed my eyes to block out the lights and a few minutes later we finally came to a stop. A team rushed around me and wheeled me into the emergency room. I kept my eyes closed and tuned everything out except for the dull roar of the now pouring rain.

They finally took me to a room and I opened my eyes just in time to see a doctor come into the room to examine me. He was tall and had dark brown hair with kind green eyes. He wore warm smile, a blue shirt with black pants and tie, with a white doctor's coat over it.

"Why hello there, Sasha is it?" he greeted warmly, looking at my chart.

I nodded and turned in the bed so I wasn't looking at him, I was sick of dealing with adults for one day. Not to mention that I was so tired, my eyelids were so heavy and I was having trouble keeping them up.

"Okay, not much of a talker then. Well can you at least tell me how old you are?" he asked walking over to the side where I was facing.

I looked angrily at him before I turned to face the side he wasn't on. I held up six fingers to symbolize that I was six years old.

"Okay, so your six and you obviously don't want to be talking to me. Alright well I know that this has been hard, I can't imagine what it would be like to have been in that scary crash but we are here to make you all better, so you need to at least try and talk to us so we know if you can talk." He said to me kindly.

I turned to look at him and sighed, my throat was dry and I didn't want to talk anymore, but if it would make him go away then I was all for it, "Can you please go away? I want to go to sleep." I said hoarsely.

He looked shocked at first before he smiled and laughed a bit and handed me some water before getting up to leave. He had just gone out the door when all of a sudden he came back and poked his head in.

"Hey, I promise I'll leave in just a second but I need to know something, what are your parents' names?" he asked rather uncomfortably, it was as if he was hiding something.

I looked at him confused before I answered, "My dad's name is John Sarein, and my mom's name is Helen Sarein. Why?"

The doctor took a deep breath before he sat down and looked at my sorrowfully, "I'm sorry to inform you that your parents are dead."

I looked at him and then at the ceiling, I felt tears running down my cheeks and I felt a small bubble of sadness form but it wasn't overwhelming. I had already figured they were dead so I was somewhat prepared and thought they did die, they were planning on getting rid of me anyway so I guess either way I wouldn't have parents.

"I know you must miss them dearly but I assure you that they are in a better place and they are watching over you."

"No they aren't. They hated me." I said flatly before turning over and closing my eyes, signaling the end of the conversation.

I sighed and listened to the rain as it pounded against the window, before slowly drifting into a nice warm sleep.

_What happens now that I'm a true orphan? _

I thought to myself as I was lulled to sleep by the gentle rain.


	3. Chapter 3

**Alright! Here is part two of mika's very belated birthday present! Sorry it took me so long! anyway, hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing from the FMA series, I only own Sasha, Mika owns Scarlet.  
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><p><em>Sasha: Age 6, Location: Amestris: Central Hospital<em>

"I'm sick of all these tests! I'm fine! Just let me leave!" I pleaded with the nurse as she took some blood from my arm while the doctor waved alight in front of my eyes that made me squint.

The doctor sighed and shook his head, "I know these tests seem tedious and unnecessary but I assure you that we are doing these tests to make sure you are completely healthy.

I sighed heavily; I knew that he was right I just want to be out of this place. I had been in this place for about a week now and I was just ready to leave. I was so bored and I felt as if my body was slowly withering away because I wasn't able to do much of anything but lay down. During the past week I was introduced to the owner of the orphanage I would be going to and she seemed nice. Nicer than my parents anyway, but considering they wanted to give me away, it wasn't very hard to be nicer than them.

The nurse took the needle out of my arm and walked away with the vials of blood she collected, the doctor, on the other hand, stayed behind to talk to me.

"Alright Sasha, once we get your final blood tests in then you will be placed in the care of Mrs. Gardina, the orphanage caretaker that you met earlier this week, and she will take you back to the orphanage to live." The doctor explained.

I couldn't put my finger on it but he seemed sad for some strange reason. I cocked my head and looked at him with confusion but he didn't seem to understand why I was confused. Instead of explaining why he was sad, he explained how the orphanage was going to work.

"Well you will live there from now on and you will live there with a lot of other kids who will be your friends and will help you adjust to the change. I know this must be hard for you but I want you to know that people are here for you and they will take care of you. You don't have to pretend like you're not sad or scared."

I shook my head and looked at him in confusion, "What do you mean? I'm not scared; I was going to an orphanage either way. At least this way I'm not just being thrown away. I am sad but that is only because I will miss my old house. I will miss the lady who used to made me dinner and take care of me but I guess I will have to get used to Mrs. Gardina." I explained.

"What do you mean you would have gone to the orphanage either way?" the doctor asked in confusion.

I frowned and for the first time since the accident I cried out of true sorrow, "My parents wanted to get rid of me because I was too much of a burden! They didn't want me anymore…they were sending me to the orphanage." I said through my tears.

The doctor looked at me in shock and disbelief, "Your parents were sending you to the orphanage? Are you sure?" he asked.

I nodded, "That is where we were heading when…you know the crash happened." I mumbled, the horrific memories of the crash coming back.

The blood running down the dashboard, my father's limp and half mutilated body slumped over the car seat. The way his bones stuck out and poked through his skin and clothes…no! _This isn't happening!_

I tightly grabbed the sides of my head and pulled my knees up to my chest before I rocked back and forth, trying to get the memories to go away. My eyes were wide and full of fear as I mumbled the word "No" to myself over and over again.

"Sasha?" I heard the doctor say but it sounded far away as if he were in a tunnel.

"no no no no no…." I repeatedly chanted.

The memories kept coming no matter how hard tried to make them go away. The way my mom was slumped over and bleeding from her head. How limp and clod she felt when I touched her skin, it was horrific. I kept chanting the word "no" as the memories overwhelmed my thoughts.

The crushed metal, the screech of the two cars colliding how I tumbled and rolled in the backseat before hitting my head on the window. The sounds of the car horns blaring, the crunch of the metal colliding, the unbearable screech of the metal. I had completely tuned out the outside world by now and I could no longer hear the doctor now frantically shouting my name.

The memories repeated themselves in my head and relentlessly shredded my sanity I was about to scream out when I felt pair of strong hands grip my shoulders firmly and shake me.

"Sasha! Snap out of it! You are in the hospital, you are safe now." The voice shouted.

I instantly snapped out of my thoughts and the memories disappeared into the back of my mind, "D-doctor?" I stammered as the world quickly came back into focus.

I felt the tears spring to my eyes and I hugged the doctor tightly, "They are really gone…" I whispered sadly as the tears fell down my cheeks.

I had been wondering why I wasn't very sad about their deaths and just blamed it on the face that they weren't very nice but now I realized that I was actually in denial that they had actually died. I had realized it before but it hadn't actually hit me that they were dead and that I would never ever see them again.

The doctor stroked my head and hugged me back, "It is alright Sasha, it's alright, and we will work through this together alright?" he said kindly and I nodded.

He released me and I sat back up and leaned on the wall behind my bed. Life didn't seem fair. I didn't understand why not only did I have neglectful parents, but now I had dead parents instead. I looked down at the clean white sheets and sighed before smiling. My mom used to yell at my dad when he would accidentally add a colored towel to the wash and ruin our white sheets. The memories of my mom letting me "help" her with laundry, which really consisted of me doing the laundry and her supervising, came flooding back. I smiled because I remembered how I used to get so excited about it and how I would make into a game. Since then I learned her real plan but back then I was just happy that my mom was spending time with me for once besides when she was training me in alchemy.

I sighed contently and looked up at the doctor who looked at me with concern. I slightly smiled at him to let him know I was better for now and he nodded before patting my head and leaving the room. As he left he received a chart and began to look over it. He nodded with a slightly sad smile and gave me a big thumbs up. He then grabbed the phone and dialed a number.

I assumed that the chart had my blood test results on them and they were god enough to let me go. I could tell that the doctor wanted me to stay a bit longer so he could make sure I was fully okay both body and mind. I watched as the doctor put down the phone and walked back into my room.

"Looks like your healthy enough to go….are you sure you are alright? I can tell them to keep you here a bit longer so you can grief." He asked.

I sat up and thought for a moment before nodding, "I think I will be okay, I think I'm just stir crazy, it is letting my thoughts get the best of me. I just need to smell the fresh air and feel the sun on my cheeks." I said.

The doctor seemed like he wanted to protest but he simply nodded, "Alright then, Mrs. Gardina will be here soon to pick you up, here are some clothes we found at your old house." I nodded and he left the clothes on my bed before leaving the room and closing the door.

After he left I got up and took a shower with the soaps they provided and redressed myself in the clothes he left. They were pretty simple, just a black short-sleeve tee with some plain tan shorts. I went over to the one mirror in the room and looked at myself.

My face looked abnormally pale and I could still see the remnants of the cuts from the flying glass when the windshield broke during the crash. My black hair looked a bit worse for the wear, it was all fuzzy and sticking up at odd angels, which when compared to my normally straight black hair, was highly unusual. I looked through the bathroom stuff the hospital provided for me and grabbed a small brush. I then turned to the mirror and brushed out all the knots in my hair. I t hurt really bad and by the end of it my scalp was throbbing but it was worth it to see my hair the way I was used to it being.

The next thing about me that stood out was my dark green eyes. They stood out against my paler than usual face and I couldn't help but notice how they looked quite conflicted with sadness and excitement. Overall I wasn't overly pretty or anything like that, I would say that I was around average; I mean compared to my mother, who was exceptionally beautiful, I was very plain. I sighed and looked away from my image and instead looked around the room.

The room wasn't all that big and all it really had in it was a bed with a curtain around it and then two small side tables on each side of the bed. I turned to look at the door that led to the bathroom and pushed the door open to peer inside. It wasn't anything special just a simple shower and toilet with a sink in the corner near the door. I turned back to the room and was surprised by the sight of a women I didn't know standing in the room.

"Excuse me? Can I help you miss?" I asked politely, assuming she was lost.

She jumped a bit and looked at me with slight shock on her face, "My, my you are a quite one aren't you?" she said with a strange familiarity, as if she knew me.

I cocked my head at her and questioned her with confusion, "I'm sorry, I don't mean to offend, but do I know you?"

The women smiled and chuckled a bit while shaking her head, "No you do not. I'm sorry I should have introduced myself. I am one of the care takers of Mrs. Gardena's orphanage, my name is Elizabeth Ruie but you can just call me Ms. Ruie. I am the one who takes care of the wing of the orphanage you will be staying in." She explained.

I looked at her and frowned, I was trying to analyze her true character but from what I could tell she was just a nice older woman. She had pale blonde hair and blue eyes the shone giving a certain youthfulness to them.

The women seemed to know what I was doing and she simply smiled, "I understand that you are scared but you will be happy with us I promise you. Just give it a chance okay?" she said kindly.

I raised one eyebrow before simply shrugging, "I don't really have a choice, I don't have anyone else to live with now do I?" I said flatly.

My statement seemed to throw Ms. Ruie off a bit because she looked at me with shock before regaining her cheerful smile and composure, "I guess not, I am very sorry for your loss."

I formed a small smile and spoke softly, "I'm sorry too, they were very… accomplished." I finished after a long pause.

She looked at me with confusion but decided to drop the subject, "Well we'd better go, the other children are expecting you. They are so excited; we don't get new children in my wing often. It is the older part of the building; it is mostly where the kids who need special attention are placed." She explained gathering my few belongings, consisting of my hairbrush, and the satchel I packed before I left, and leading me to her car.

I saw the car through the glass door and instantly something began to happen to me. I looked at the car and froze, the memories began to creep back up on me and I felt my heat begin to beat rapidly and my throat begin to close up. I began to gasp for air and slowly I began to feel as if the world around me had all stopped but I was still moving.

I shut my eyes tightly and tried to calm myself but the visions of blood and the sounds of car metal screeching overwhelmed my thoughts. I felt the tears fall down my cheeks but I dared not to open my eyes for fear of what I would see. I took a couple of shaky, broken deep breaths and slowly my throat opened once more and I could feel my heart beat slowing.

"Sasha! Sahsha! Doctor help! Sasha!" I heard Ms. Ruie shout and a pair of hands wrap around me in a protective way.

The world around me was starting to come back in focus and I could hear the frantic shouts of doctors and nurses. I slowly opened my eyes and upon opening my eyes I saw Ms. Ruie holding me in her arms as if I was a very precious and valuable object that someone might try to steal.

I looked up at her in confusion, "What happened?" I asked groggily, still weary from my moment of terror.

She looked down at me and gave me a worried smile, "Oh, dear! You gave me such a scare, don't you do that again you hear?" She said with a chuckle.

I frown and looked at her, "Yes Mame' I'm sorry please forgive me. I have no idea what came over me, I was just so scared."

Her smile changed to a frown as she looked at me, "Sasha darling, I was just joking. None of this was your fault; you had no control over this. I should have just walked here; I figured the ca would be faster, I guess I forgot you had just been in a car accident. I'm sorry for scaring you." she replied, pulling me close to her.

I was shocked, an adult had never apologized to me so sincerely before, unless you count my teacher. My parents blamed me for a lot of things so I had grown accustomed to the act of apologizing. I knew that I was still not good enough to earn praise and love like this but it felt nice to have something I didn't deserve for once.

We sat there in silence for a minute or so before the doctors ran up to ask what was wrong. Ms. Ruie simply smiled and sent them away, she knew as well as I did that they really had no way of treating my grief. Doctors were better at healing physical wounds not mental ones. I didn't mind though I liked the idea of finally leaving the hospital.

We finally stood up and she took my hand and led me through the glass doors and I instantly felt the sun warm my cool skin and the breeze rush through my hair. I was so happy I couldn't help but smile, it had been awhile since I had seen the sun and felt a breeze. The closest I got was staring out a hospital window watching the other children play in the parks and schoolyards. I looked at the blue sky and felt joy flutter up in my heart. I smiled and followed Ms. Ruie as we walked the short distance to the orphanage.

Along the way I counted the cracks in the sidewalk and the clouds in the sky. The clouds looked so peaceful and beautiful in comparison to the slate gray and coal black buildings that rose to try and compete with the sky. The buildings were surly the losers as far as looks but I also thought they were the losers overall. The buildings seemed so much more stagnant and boring than the always changing sky. I looked at the buildings with sadness because no matter what they would always be just a building but they sky could always change, it didn't seem fair.

It wasn't long before we had reached the orphanage; it was a large gray building with paintings of rainbows and little stick figure families in a border around it. The front double doors were painted a pretty green, there was a stone awning that covered the small front porch but it looked as though it was going to fall apart at any moment. The stone pillars were all cracked and the cement patio had a huge crack in it as well. Upon closer inspection the outer walls of the orphanage had suffered the same fate as the pillars and patio, having lots of cracks in it too.

I looked at them with a sense of sadness because people were actually living in this building. Before she could lead me inside the building I pulled a couple pieces of chalk from my satchel and drew a transmutation circle in the middle of the patio. I then took a deep breath, closed my eyes and focused on the cracks in the building. I sat there for a good ten minutes before I opened my eyes and placed my hands on the circle, causing a surge of blue sparks to form. At first nothing happened but as I focused harder the cracks began to shift and close together. In an instant the cracks were mostly joined back together and fixed. There was a couple of lingering sparks of blue energy but the sparked once or twice before disappearing. I looked over my work and though I wanted the cracks to be all the way gone, I knew that I would need more rocks to fulfill the equivalent exchange, that and my skills weren't developed enough for that level of alchemy. So I had to settle with the cracks being closer together and not sticking up off the ground.

"Wow Sasha that was an interesting trick." Ms. Ruie said to me happily.

I looked at her and smiled, I knew that she was just being nice, but I had a feeling that it was forced. I shrugged and turned towards the doors and walked into the building. I was instantly hit with the strong and familiar smell of cleaning supplies. I wrinkled my nose and frowned, I never did like the smell of cleaning products and I especially hated the smell of the strong chemical ones.

I stuck my tongue out in disgust and covered my nose, "Eww…gross." I murmured to myself.

Ms. Ruie laughed and patted my head, "You don't like those strong chemical smells huh? Neither do I to be honest." She admitted with a genuine smile.

I looked at her and nodded before following her to the area where I would be staying. As we got closer to her wing the less it smelled like chemicals. Unfortunately the smell of chemicals was replaced by a smell I couldn't name. It smelt smoky yet sweet but I couldn't tell what it was. It wasn't a bad smell it was just annoying because it remained unnamed in my brain. I huffed in frustration and walked into the room she led me to.

It was a simple room that had four beds in it, one for each corner; three of the four beds were made with perfection the last bed, the one in the lower right corner had blankets and sheets in a pile in the middle of the bed. Ms. Ruie pointed to the bed with the pile of sheets and set my stuff down before leaving the room.

Once she left the feeling of sadness and loneness came creeping back up on me, but before I could take over I felt someone tap me on the shoulder.

"Hello, I'm Scarlet! Who are you? You must be new, I've never seen you before and I know everyone in this place." a voice from behind me said with excitement.

I jumped and turned to face the voice. It belonged to a girl about my age who was looking at me with a huge smile on her face. She looked as though she may be a bit mischievous but that didn't bother me, if anything it made me want to get to know her, she would know how to have a good time. I smiled back at her and she seemed to be ecstatic.

"I'm Sasha, I just came here from the hospital, it is a pleasure to meet you Scarlet." I stated, trying to be polite.

She smiled, "Sasha huh? That is a cool name! The hospital huh? Yeah that is where a lot of us go to before we get sent here. But don't worry, everything will get better, it may be sad now but you're here with us now and this place is almost as awesome as me. Just kidding." She said reassuringly and ended in a light jokey manner.

I laughed a little and smiled, "Thank you, I hope things get easier."

She nodded and smiled before thinking for a minute. Scarlet was quite pretty in my opinion, she had dark tan skin and light blonde hair that went just past her shoulders. Her eyes were the most interesting part, she had bright red eyes that confirmed that she was an Ishvalan. I had never really met an Ishvalan before but aside from her physical appearance she didn't appear to be any different from me. She wore a simple red shirt with a black skirt with red trim around the bottom and the waistband, as well as a pair of black combat boots. Her outfit combined with her bubbly personality made her seem even more intriguing and fun.

She smiled at me brightly and excitedly jumped up and down, "Alright I thought of the most awesome idea ever! I'm going to introduce you to my bestest friend in the whole wide world! You'll love her; she is just so mousy and cute!" She stated excitedly as she drug me off.

I was so thrown off by the suddenness that I went without any hesitation. As soon as we were off and running I thought about how this place may not be so bad after all.


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm an updating fool today! w Well, you can thank MikaHimura a.k.a Scarlet for getting me to start writing this one again. She said she wanted me to so I did.**

**Anyway! I hope to start updating more frequently but knowing me I probably won't but hey, I have a life too...it's called college.  
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**DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything but Sasha and Shelbie...Scarlet is Mika's.**

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><p>As we ran down the hallway we passed several rooms, each one bearing a striking resemblance to the one I was in. Each one had four bed with a window and each bed had a side table next to it. Other than that there was really nothing in any of the rooms that made them unique. They all looked like they were created in a lab for the sole purpose of being the same and crushing creativity.<p>

"_Maybe I was right the first time. The way the rooms are set up makes me feel like I'm just another mouth to feed and not a person. Then again that was how it was back home, at least, that is how mom and dad felt. The servants were always kind to me. I liked the servants I would always give them my drawings from school since mom and dad didn't want them. I wonder what will happen to them now that mom and dad are gone._" I wondered to myself.

"Hey Sasha! This is my friend! She is so cute!" Scarlet said happily.

I looked over to the side and saw a girl around my age. She had brown hair that was styled into two braided pigtails. Her brown hair matched perfectly with her pale skin and bright brown eyes.

"Oh, hello. I am sorry about Scarlet, she can be too excitable at times. She is really nice once you get to know her. I'm Shelbie, Scarlet's best friend." The girl said softly, with a kind smile on her face.

I smiled back, "Oh there is no need to apologize. It was nice of her to introduce me to other people. You both seem very nice. My name is Sasha." I replied.

Scarlet smirked and hugged me around the neck, "See Shelbie? She is too awesome! It is decided she is our third musketeer!"

I frowned, "Shouldn't you ask me first?" I said as I wriggled out of her grasp.

"What? But I though you liked me!" Scarlet responded in shock.

I sigh, "I just met you. You seem interesting but I barely know you." I said as I turned to go back to my room.

"Hey! Wait a minute!" She shouted as she ran after me with Shelbie in tow.

"_What does she want? To be my friend? Maybe I should accept. I mean ostracizing myself won't do me any good. I've never had friends though. All the other kids in the class tended to avoid me because the teachers gave me so much attention. So maybe…maybe this time I can make friends. But what if they are just trying to use me like Mom and Dad did? What if they abandon me like they did? I don't want to be abandoned again…I couldn't take it._" I thought to myself.

Suddenly I felt a hand grab my arm. I turned around quickly to see Scarlet holding on to my arm with a pleading look in her eyes. Shelbie was looking at me with the same pleading look but she had an apologetic look to her eyes as well.

"Please! You shouldn't shut yourself in like that! It isn't healthy!" Scarlet said.

"I don't know what you're talking about I just want to get to know people better before I hang out with them." I replied, trying to turn away.

"I know that is what you think but trust me. Isolating yourself like that can be hurtful. Lots of kids do that when they first get here. It makes them really sad. I've seen lots of kids go crazy from being so lonely." Scarlet said.

I frowned, "Just let me go. I'm used to being alone. I will be fine. I just want to be alone." I replied.

"I said the same things when I got here but on the inside I was super lonely. I didn't know how to make friends, and I was too shy to even try. I was so alone but no one seemed to notice. Eventually I just wished that I was with my parents, just so I wasn't alone anymore. Scarlet saved me. She saw my loneliness and became my friend when no one else would. Being alone is no fun. Come have fun with us." Shelbie pleaded.

I frowned and looked away, "_Was I lonely? I had never considered that. I was always alone so it never bothered me. But could it be that I was just hiding my emotions? I don't think so…but they seem so upset. I wouldn't want to upset someone. So maybe I'll just agree to be their friends to cheer them up._"

I sighed, "O-Okay, I understand." I said.

Scarlet's face lit up, "Yay! I'm so excited! You won't regret this! We will have so much fun!"

"_Fun? In an orphanage full of parentless children? I don't know how but I guess I can't question it._" I thought to myself as she wrapped me in a hug.

I didn't like it when people hugged me but I allowed it so I didn't seem rude. I wanted them to be happy and if hugging me did that, then so be it. Her hug didn't feel any different than the other hugs I had received in the past. It was warm but past that it wasn't anything special. I didn't feel warm and safe like I did when my teacher hugged me. But it didn't feel completely hallow like when my parents hugged me either. I could tell that is was trying to be comforting but I didn't feel as comforted as I should, could it be that I couldn't feel emotions like other kids? Was I really as worthless as my parents said?

"Huh? Do you not like hugs Sasha? You're all tense." Scarlet asked in confusion as she let me go.

I blinked in surprise, "I-I…no I don't really like hugs. I don't really like it when people touch me."

"Ah! Why did you not say anything? I wouldn't have hug you if you didn't like it. I feel all bad now." Scarlet replied with a small pout.

"Oh…I'm sorry." I said while looking away.

"_I messed up again. I thought it was nicer not to say anything but it was nicer to say something. Why am I such a failure? Mom and Dad knew the truth. I guess I just denied it. Maybe that is why I never made friends before, because I knew that I didn't deserve them. A failure like me doesn't deserve friends right?_" I thought to myself.

"There is no need to be all upset! I'm the one who should apologize I mean I hugged you without permission." Scarlet said with a smile.

I frowned, "Huh?"

Scarlet smiled and patted my head, "You're such a silly girl! You say sorry almost more than Shelbie!"

"Huh? But I did something bad. I have to say sorry right?"

"No! I was wrong. It isn't your fault you don't like hugs. I should have asked." Scarlet replied.

"So…am I not useless?" I mused to myself.

"Huh? Useless who said that?! Of course you aren't useless!" Scarlet said in confusion.

"Useless? Did I say that? Oh…my bad. Ignore me I don't know what I'm saying." I said with a frown.

Shelbie frowned, "You know lots of us used to feel the same way but we soon figured out that we weren't useless. As long as we are all living we all have a purpose. And having a purpose makes us useful to someone."

I sighed and looked away, "_My goal in life…did I ever have one? Yes, to make Mom and Dad appreciate me. In the end I could never reach my goal. In the end I truly am useless_."

"Oh well if you guys say so. I guess you have a point! What should we do first?" I said, pushing my sadness down.

"_I don't want them to keep acting like they understand me. I might as well pretend that I'm happy for now. Who knows maybe I will actually become happy._" I thought to myself.

"Right! Let's get going! Lunch is going to start soon! We have to try and get the best seats." Scarlet said happily as she grabbed my arm with one hand and Shelbie's with the other.

We ran back through the same hallway with the identical rooms before we reached the beginning of the hallway. There was a big, round room that had many hallways connecting to it.

"Right! Now, this way!" She said happily as she drug us off in another direction.

We ran through the room and down another hallway. This hallway didn't have any rooms attached to it, instead it had dozens of framed pictures. All of them were slightly different but they were mostly of old men with eye glasses and moustaches. I didn't really understand why they were pictures of them but I assumed that they were important.

"Here we are!" Scarlet said cheerfully.

The room was really big. It had several of framed paintings like the ones in the hall and had a super big dining table in the middle of it. On the table there were several dozen plates set out for all of the kids. In the middle of the table there were several large plates of food. None of it was as elaborate as what the maids at home made but I wasn't picky so I guess it would be alright.

"Come on we have to sit down." Scarlet said in a rush as she pulled us over to the table and forced us into chairs before hopping into a chair in between Shelbie and me.

"Thank you." I said politely.

"No time to thank me, now we must fight for our food! Otherwise all the older kids will get the food." Scarlet said as she reached over the table and filled her plate with noodles with chicken in them.

I frowned, "Fight for our food?"

Shelbie nodded, "Oh yes, I hate fighting but if we don't then we will just be left with scraps." She replied before serving herself some food.

"Come on Sasha hurry up!" Scarlet yelled at me.

I gulped uncomfortably before reaching to grab some of the noodles. Suddenly a larger kid pushed me to the side, causing me to bump into Scarlet. She gasped in shock and dropped her plate to the table, spilling her food in the process.

"Ah! I'm so sorry." I said as I scooped her food back on her plate.

"Hey move out of my way pipsqueak!" the larger kid from before shouted in anger as I reached for the food again.

"Leave her alone!" Scarlet yelled in anger.

"What are you going to do about it Ishvalan?" He sneered hatefully.

"I'll kick your butt!" She growled angrily.

"Hehe, I'd like to see you try Ishvalan trash." He said smugly.

"You want to call me that again?!" She responded, her eyes glowing with anger.

I looked at her with concern, "_Why is she doing this? That kid is going to hit her if she keeps messing with him. I'll gladly move to make this stop. I mean I'm not even that hungry. I'm sure he is just hungry, he needs it more than I do._"

"You brat!" he shouted in anger as he reached out to grab her.

My eyes widened in shock as I jumped up to block his hand. My body moved on its own as I stood up and blocked his hand from reaching Scarlet. His eyes narrowed as he grabbed me instead and threw me backwards.

"Stay out of my way newbie." He said angrily.

I frowned and got up, "I won't." I said defiantly as I stood up in front of Scarlet defensively.

"_Why am I doing this? I mean this kid is easily two times my size! Then again, she stood up for me…maybe is this what it is like to have people that care about you? But we just met why would they protect me?_"

"Leave my friend alone! She didn't do anything!" Scarlet said angrily.

I looked at Scarlet in shock as I smiled slightly, "Friends?" I said, "Right. Hey you leave her alone. You think you're so tough?! Yeah right! You are weak!" I taunted with a smirk.

"You little brat!" he shouted in anger as he grabbed for me.

I gulped and prepare myself for the hit, "Hey! She's right your super weak I could take you out no problem!" Scarlet taunted.

He frowned and looked at both of us in confused anger, "Grr…shut up both of you!" he said angrily.

I looked up at Scarlet who winked, "Make me!"

"No make me! I mean honestly I could beat you way more easily than she could." I said with a smirk.

He growled angrily and looked from Scarlet to me several times, "Stop it! Both of you."

"You should leave now. Otherwise all three of us will have to embarrass you." Shelbie said with a frown.

The boy looked at all three of us with confused rage before shaking his head and turning away, "You brats aren't worth my time."

I sighed with relief as he went to a different part of the table and got himself some food. I smiled to myself as I grabbed my plate and served myself a little bit of food.

"That was so cool Sasha! Stupid but cool." Scarlet said with a smiled as she dug into her food.

"Uh thanks. I just figured since you stood up for me I should do the same." I replied kindly.

Shelbie looked at my plate with concern, "It that all you are going to eat?" She asked with worry.

I looked at my plate in confusion, "Well yeah. I mean there are so many other kids and they need food too. Besides, I'm not really hungry." I said as I dug into my food.

Shelbie frowned, "You are pretty selfless. I mean most people would have hogged all the food. I know I would have tried to if I could manage to eat that much. I'm pretty greedy."

I frowned and shrugged, "I guess you could say I was selfless, but I don't see it."

Shelbie smiled, "You seem happier now I'm glad."

I smiled slightly, "_I guess I feel happier. Yeah, I do. I think hanging around them won't be too bad. Maybe I will find a new goal._"

"Yum! That was pretty good. Don't you agree Sasha and Shelbie?" Scarlet asked as she rubbed her stomach in satisfaction.

I nodded, "Yeah that was pretty good." I agreed as I grabbed my plate and hopped down from the table.

Shelbie nodded as well and followed my lead, "Yes, it was good. Though I think they could have added some more salt." She said with a shy smile.

Scarlet shrugged and hopped down from the table with her plate, "Well I liked it a lot! It was so yummy good! We should go put our plates away and play for a little while before we have to start our chores."

"Yeah, but what are we going to play today Scarlet?" Shelbie asked as we followed Scarlet to the kitchen.

Scarlet pondered for a minute, "I don't know…how about tag?" she suggested as we entered the busy kitchen.

"Where would we have room to play that?" Shelbie asked as she placed her plate in the sink and began to scrub it.

"Outside maybe?" I asked as I began to wash my own plate.

"No we can't go outside until our chores are done." Scarlet replied with a pout as she washed her plate and set it down to dry.

"Really? Well maybe we should play something else." I said as I set my plate down next to Scarlet's.

"Hm? But what?" Shelbie said as she placed her plate next to mine.

"Hm…we could always get to know each other better. Well Shelbie and I getting to know you and vice versa since Shelbie and I are already pretty close." Scarlet suggested as we walked out of the kitchen.

"That sounds like a great idea!" Shelbie said with a smiled as she followed after Scarlet.

"Alright, that doesn't sound like a bad idea." I said with a slight smile, following the others back to the bedrooms.

"So were you born in Amestris Sasha?" Shelbie asked kindly as we entered our room.

I nodded and turned to my bed to begin making it, "Yes, I was born and raised in Central."

Scarlet frowned, "Really? That sounds pretty boring. I was born in Ishval. But my mom moved to Amestris to be closer to my dad. I'm only half Ishvalan. My mom is Ishvalan but my dad is Amestrian." She replied.

I shrugged, "Yeah it was kinda boring being in the same place for so long but I find it comforting too. Besides I'm only seven so I haven't been alive long enough to be too sick of it." I replied.

Shelbie nodded, "That makes sense. I was born in Amestris too but I was born in a place called Resembool. We moved to Central after my dad got a job in the military."

"Ah, Resembool, that is that town in the south of Amestris right? I hear that they have taken off since they started making uniforms for the military." I wondered.

"Yes, that is another reason we left. They town was becoming too populated. Though Central is even bigger so I'm not sure why we came here." Shelbie replied with a nod.

I frowned, "Wow so I'm the only one that hasn't moved."

"It would seem that way. But at least you know Central better than both of us do." Shelbie said with a reassuring smile.

I shrugged, "Not really. I know that area around my old house really well but this area is more foreign to me."

Scarlet smiled, "Well that is perfect then! We know this area really well and you know the other areas of Central super well so we have almost have the whole area of Central mapped out in our heads!" she said excitedly.

I smiled slightly, "Yeah I guess you have a point." I replied softly.

"So what do you like to do for fun?" Scarlet asked while jumping up and down impatiently.

"Um, I never really did like games or any of that kind of thing. One of my favorite things to do was always to practice my alchemy." I said with a wistful smile.

Scarlet frowned in thought, "Alchemy? I remember my mom saying something about that. She always said that it was bad. What is it?"

I paused for a moment to think about how to explain it, "_That's right the Ishvalans don't like alchemy. They believe that it goes against their god or something like that. Or at least that is what those books said._"

"Well alchemy is basically the study of transforming one thing into another by using energy received from the movement of the tectonic plates." I stated simply.

Scarlet frowned, "That sounds like something only a god should be able to do. I guess it sounds pretty interesting though."

Shelbie's eyes lit up as she leaned closer to me, "Do you know a lot of alchemy?"

"Not really. I know the basics but I'm a pretty fast learner. I could show you some time if you want." I offered.

Shelbie nodded enthusiastically, "Oh yes please!"

I giggled a bit, "Alright I will try and show you a trick or two."

"Oh! That is awesome!" Shelbie shouted with enthusiasm.

"But first you have to do a lot of studying so you can know the different elements involved in the transmutation process. It is a lot of work but I got the hang of it pretty fast so I'm sure you can as well." I replied as I walked over to my bed and pulled a book from my satchel.

Since I knew that I was leaving before I had made sure to bring all of the alchemy books I owned. I had quite a few and since I was never really into toys I always used my extra money from chores to buy books about alchemy. My hope was to become strong enough to join the military like my parents did and help people who need it.

"Wow! Is that a book about alchemy?" Shelbie asked in wonder.

I nodded, "Yep, the first thing you will want to learn are all of the elements. They are listed here on the periodic table. These are the building blocks of all things, so in order to learn alchemy you need to know what you're dealing with." I replied, showing her the periodic table.

"W-wow! There are so many. Wait so these element things are kinda like learning the alphabet before you read or write?" Shelbie asked.

I nodded, "Almost exactly like that except it is more like the bottom blocks on a big tower. You need to know these so you can further build upon and understand them. The alphabet of alchemy is chemistry but you also need to know what the different types of circles mean." I replied, flipping to a page filled with different pictures of alchemy circles.

Shelbie frowned, "Sasha…what's that word? How can you read this? It looks like an adult book!" She questioned, pointing to the word transmutation.

I frowned, "_Oh no!_" I thought to myself, "_I always forget that other kids aren't used to reading these kinds of books. Mom and Dad read them to me ever since I could remember. Not to mention that I learned to read early and would read my alchemy books in my spare time instead of playing._"

"S-sorry, I guess I'm sort of an advanced reader. My parents were really strict. That word is transmutation, it refers to the act of changing or altering the form, appearance, or nature of something." I explained.

She stared at me blankly, "So like changing something with you alchemy?"

I nodded, "Basically. Here, it is like this." I said as I took out a piece of chalk and drew a small alchemy circle.

I pulled one of the sheets off my bed, folded it and placed it in the middle of the circle. I took a deep breath and placed my hands on the circle. Suddenly blue sparks leapt from the ground surrounding the circle. The sheet slowly began to fold and tear to form a small black jacket. I smiled when it was done and lifted it up to show them.

"See? Transmutation! It's easy!" I said proudly.

Scarlet frowned and wrinkled her nose, "I'm not so sure. It looks pretty hard to me…but so awesome! My mom had to be wrong! Something this cool can't be bad!"

I looked too the side in an effort to avoid eye contact, "Yeah I think it is pretty cool too."

Shelbie jumped up with excitement, "Wow! How cool! Do it again!" She said excitedly.

I smiled sadly, "Sorry but I used up all the fabric making this. I had to double fold the fabric together to make sure it would hold up against the elements."

"Oh…so you can only make jackets?" She asked in a disappointed voice.

"No, I just don't have anything to fulfill the equivalent exchange. I could make something else if I had more materials." I replied as I slipped on the jacket, it was comfortable for being made from sheets, but it was a bit too big.

I keeled down to clean the chalk off the floor and put away my book and chalk before placing the jacket on my bed. I smiled slightly as I looked back at Scarlet and Shelbie who were both chatting excitedly about the trick I had just done. They looked like I did when my mom first showed me the might of alchemy. Of course she was much better at it than I ever would be, but either way, it was amazing.

"Alright children it is time for chores." Ms. Ruie's voice said kindly as she walked down the hall, her shoes clicking softly as they made contact with the floor.

Shelbie and Scarlet jumped up immediately and looked at me, "Come on!" they said in unison as the dragged me out of the room and into the hall with the rest of the children.

All of the kids in the hall, which amounted to about ten, were lined up and waiting for Ms. Ruie's instructions. I stood in between Scarlet and Shelbie wondering just what chores I would have to do.

"Alright everyone, we want this hall to be spotless so let's work together okay! Alright Francis, Emily, and Tania I want you to sweep all of the floors in the hall. George, Kara, Stephon, and Laura I want you four to mop the floors. Then Scarlet, Shelbie, Roy, and Sasha I need you to go around and dust and make the beds for me." Ms. Ruie said with a nod.

All of the kids who were called out ran off to go do their specific chore but Scarlet and Shelbie stood still, "Ms. Ruie…Roy left remember?" Scarlet said, as a sudden sadness overcame her.

"Oh, oh no, I'm sorry Scarlet I forgot. His aunt picked him up last week didn't she?" Ms. Ruie said as she burst into apologies.

Scarlet smiled slightly, "It's okay I just miss him is all."

"I know sweetie, we all do. But he is with his family now. It is where he belongs." She replied with a smile.

"I know, well I'm gonna go dust like a mad fiend! It will be the cleanest it has ever been!" Scarlet said happily as she ran off with Shelbie and me in tow.

She took us to a hallway closet where she handed me a dust cloth and some cleaner before shutting the door, "Shelbie can be the bed maker while you and I dust like no one's business! That was always Roy and I's job!"

I nodded compliantly and followed them to the first room to be cleaned. We worked in silence for a while as the silence slowly started to gnaw at my sanity. While I did enjoy silence most of the time, this was a weird kind of silence, the kind where you just want to say something because otherwise you will go crazy.

"Who is Roy?" I asked suddenly.

Scarlet jumped slightly at the sudden break of silence before frowning, "He was the kid who slept in the bed across from yours. He was my best friend, I mean besides Shelbie, we both came into the orphanage at the same time. We were pretty close, but his aunt came and picked him up last week. Apparently they had a bit of trouble finding her so while they waited they put him in here. I was really sad to see him go but he seemed happy to see his aunt. He was always planning to do big things, I think we are going to see him as the Führer one of these days." She explained sadly at first but with growing pride.

I smiled, "He sounds pretty cool. Sorry he had to go." I said, not really knowing what the proper response was.

Scarlet snickered a bit, "You could say that, he was certainly arrogant, but he was sweet when you got to know him. But enough about the past, on to the future! We need to clean these rooms and make Ms. Ruie proud!" she said triumphantly as she ran off to the next room.

"Wha! W-wait Scarlet!" Shelbie stammered as she fumbled over the covers on the last bed.

I waited for Shelbie before following Scarlet to the next room, "Hey Sasha, you wouldn't know an alchemy trick that makes cleaning go faster would you?" Scarlet asked jokingly.

"Alchemy is a science not magic." I replied with a laugh.

Scarlet smile brightly and laughed. I snickered a bit myself before turning back to my work. It was going to take some getting used to but I could tell that living here wasn't going to be too bad.

* * *

><p><strong>I know it wasn't much but at least it was something right? I'm sorry! TT_TT<strong>

**I'm a worm! A worthless worm! TT_TT**

**please comment and rate...please? For Sasha? Because the next chapter will have Greed in it? Come on, that is an excellent reason to comment!**


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